Records

Referees

Crew Chief

SUDEK, PETR, Slovakia

Referee

MIKHAYLOV, SERGEY, Russian Federation

Umpire

OBRADOVIC, PETAR, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Take

Zadar knows it has excellent chances of winning its ULEB Cup Last 32 tie against Azovmash Mariupol after returning home with just a two-point loss on the road. Head coach Aleksandar Petrovic's Zadar fought back from a double-digit fourth quarter deficit to lose just 82-80 at Azovmash and remain alive for a Last 16 date with either Pamesa Valencia or Panionios. Petrovic's team got the result despite being out-shot (47%-52%) and out-rebounded (24-36). But the Croatian team committed just 8 turnovers and that was the key. Playmaker Corey Brewer collected 27 points and 6 assists. Small forward Shamell Stallworth added 17 points and center Jure Lalic hit for 11 off the bench. Center Todor Gecevski struggled with foul trouble and scored just 5 points but did grab 8 rebounds. As long as Zadar improves its shooting but handles the ball as well as it did, Petrovic's men have a chance to advance. And Zadar has dominated at home, not losing a single game thus far. Azovmash meanwhile has to be disappointed about not grabbing a bigger victory. Head coach Mehmet Becirovic's Ukrainian team was led by shooting guard Rodney Buford, who scored a season-high 20 points while playmaker Gerrod Henderson tallied 18 points and 6 assists in his first ULEB Cup game for Mariupol. And center Robert Archibald was a force in the middle with 17 points and 11 rebounds. But Becirovic did not get much production from his bench other than usual starter power forward Serhiy Lishchuk, who had 10 points as Becirovic tried to get more spark from his reserves. Azovmash has been up and down all season on the road but has won its last two away games, including a thriller at Khimki. Azovmash would love to hold off Zadar and move onto a Last 16 date with either Pamesa or Panionios.

Monday, February 25, 2008

ULEBCup.com

Quotes Head Coaches

Players

KK Zadar advanced to the ULEB Cup Last 16 round by winning its series against Azovmash Mariupol on points differential. Zadar made it to the next round by downing Azovmash Mariupol 77-60 in Croatia on Tuesday. Azovmash had a two-point lead in the series due to a 82-80 win in the 1st leg in Mariupol, Ukraine, last week. Zadar will now face either Pamesa Valencia or Panionios On Telecoms, that face each other in Valencia, Spain tomorrow. Juby Johnson led the winners with 23 points. Todor Gecevski posted a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds while Shammel Stallworth had 11 points for Zadar. Yahor Meshcharakou, Panos Liadelis and Robert Archibald each had 12 points for Azovmash. Archibald pulled down 15 boards for a double-double. Serhiy Lishchuk added 10 points for the guests. Gecevski led Zadar to a 12-4 lead but Liadelis and Meshcharakou fueled a 1-11 run that allowed Azovmash to get a 18-19 lead after 10 minutes. Ishchuk gave Azovmash its last lead, 25-27, as Johnson and Stallworth helped Zadar to regain a 35-30 halftime margin. Zadar improved its defense after the break while Stallworth and Corey Brewer allowed Zadar to get a double-digit lead, 53-43, after 30 minutes. Gecevski and an unstoppable Johnson broke the game open, 72-58, allowing all Zadar fans to celebrate a major win that came with a Last 16 berth.

Zadar shined in defense in the early going, making Azovmash go scoreless in the opening 4 minutes. Meanwhile, a big basket by Gecevski ignited a 7-0 run that he capped with a three-pointer to put Zadar ahead in the series. Azovmash had missed 8 consecutive shots, some of them in three and four-chance offenses, until Liadelis stroke from downtown. Lishchuk added a free throw by Johnson and an unstoppable Gecevski kept Zadar ahead, 12-4. Liadelis kept pacing Azovmash while Rodney Buford and a three-pointer by Oleksandr Skutyelnik brought the guests within 13-11. Meshcharakou also fired in one from beyond the arc while Archibald capped a 1-11 run with a free throw. Liadelis and Meshcharakou kept the guests ahead, 18-19, at the end of the first quarter. Johnson followed a basket with a three-pointer to restore a 23-19 Zadar edge early in the second period. A 0-6 run that Archibald capped with a layup allowed Azovmash to regain the lead, 23-25. Pankracije Barac and Lishchuk traded baskets while a put-back layup by Jure Lalic tied the game at 27-27. Johnson shined again with 5 quick points while a free throw and a basket by Stallworth gave Zadar a 35-29 margin. A free throw by Lishchuk fixed the halftime score at 35-30.

Lishchuk kept pacing Azovmash after the break and even when Johnson stroke again from downtown, free throws by Archibald brought the guests within 38-34. Zadar had improved its defense, however, as Azovmash struggled to find open shots right away. Meanwhile, Jere Macura stepped up for the hosts and soon followed Gecevski's free throw with a put-back layup to make it an eight-point game, 43-35, midway through the third quarter. Buford tried to change things with consecutive baskets but Stallworth and Brewer sank respective triples to boost the hosts' lead to 49-39. Liadelis scored again while Lishchuk added a put-back basket to bring Azovmash within 50-43, but a three-point play by Stallworth restored a double-digit Zadar margin, 53-43, after 30 minutes. Gecevski shined with a put-back layup early in the fourth quarter and even when Skutyelnik bettered it with a three-pointer, free throws by Andrej Stimac allowed Zadar to get an 11-point lead, 57-46. Time was running out for Azovmash and the guests tried to speed up their offense without much success. Meanwhile, free throws by Barac, Stimac and Gecevski sealed the outcome, 62-46, midway through the fourth quarter. Azovmash had a bitter end to an otherwise strong ULEB Cup debut season. Meanwhile, Zadar is set to keep fighting for ULEB Cup glory.